In anticipation of a handful of trips in the QS 10.0 this spring, summer and upcoming fall, i've been trying to figure out how to streamline the process. We are far from experienced and yet we have learned a lot on just a few trips already. I actually enjoy planning and trying to figure out how to make the short trips easier. It's sort of like planning to fish...it's way better than work, bills, the news, etc. Every hour I spend looking at campgrounds, routes, camping stuffs, on this site or creating lists makes it feel almost a third of the way toward going!
Given an opportunity to take off on short notice or without a lot of packing time, I've been trying to figure out how to streamline the packing & launch time. It seemed that we had a lot of loose items, last minute grabs, "oh yea's", Don't forget the ___, disorganized throw togethers, etc. I have a Ford F150 so space isn't an issue.
So, the first thing i've done is made a master checklist on the iPad of everything possible we might need to take. It goes from food to tool kits, everything in between. I keep updating it with the hopes of getting to a point where if you ran down the list, you'd never forget anything.
The next plan is to have the trailer be as self contained as possible with it's own set of stuffs. By that I mean dishes, cleaning supplies, towels, bedding, utensils, tools, cords, lights, bbq items, etc. I'd like as much as possible to live inside the trailer's storage(sink, benches, aisles) ..with the exception of perishable goods. We've done OK on that front already.
the next stage is to have most everything that can reside in a storage tub be ready to go. I found some really big, strong yellow top plastic storage tubs at Home Depot. They can stack. I'd like to get the stove, a small bbq grill, bedding/pillows, pots and pans, heaters, hoses, propane, spices, paper towels and trash bags, etc in those. So the garage door opens and they get loaded up.
What's left? Pack the food, Ice chests, pack the clothes, EZ up, chairs and tables.
The fishing stuff is always a mess. Not certain how to fix that.
Ideas?
What Am I missing?
Some of this is probably obvious... but how have you streamlined the load up process?
Everything is already in the trailer all the time, except linen while winterized. We even have camping clothes that get washed after every trip and sit waiting in day packs ready to go.
The only thing we need to grab is the clothes packs, perishables (eggs, bacon, cream for coffee, fresh water in gallon jugs, wine, beer, whiskey, snacks, then whatever she's got allocated for lunches and dinners). She accumulates that in the day or three before we leave. So we pack in about an hour from "go time" and are on our way.
When we return from a trip, I replenish the 1# propane canisters. The stoves and grills stay in the trailer.
For fishing, go to your local Cabelas. They always seem to have those blue canvas man-purse things for tackle for like $10. You should have one for every type of fishing you do: trout/bass/panfish, salmon, steelhead, surf/bottom fishing etc. All ready to go with tackle (swivels, sinkers, leader line), artificial baits, lures, tools and the like for that particular setting. Plus one that is a universal kit with filet knife, stringers, license, nitrile gloves, first aid, etc. that always goes. Decide where you are fishing and what for. Take the Always Bag, plus the bag that suits your setting.
Same for rods. You may be able to do multiple types of fishing with the same rod/reel, but would want different line (mono vs. braid, what load rating). Don't. Have a bass rod set up with 10# mono. Have a trout rod with a spinning reel and 6# mono. Have steelhead rods with 30# braid for drifting, bobber dogging, etc. Salmon with 50# for drifting, bobber fishing, trolling, plunking. A jigging rod for bottom fish with 65# test on it. etc.
Have a backpack with your waders and boots. Have an offshore bag with your PFD and marine radio. Hell, have a crabbing pack and a clamming pack if you want.
If you're prepped and always keep your species bags replenished, it's a matter of grabbing any live bait from the BB fridge (that's that fridge you have in the garage with nothing but Bait and Beer in it), grab your rods and packs and go. 30 minutes tops from your buddy calling to say "let's go fishing!" and you are out the door, and that includes hitting the bathroom. Grab 'n Go.
I agree with the concept of enjoying the planning and packing. My wife and I travel "heavy". We have so many interests and stuff to take (birding, boating, hiking, photography, dogs, journals, electronics, etc, etc.) that we've come to think of the packing/preparing/getting ready as part of the whole adventure and not some onerous task that has to be done. Likewise, we think of the travel part of the trip as something to be enjoyed and looked forward to and not just something that we have to get over before we can "start" enjoying the trip at a destination. Overall, I'd say pretty much the old "Life's a journey, not a destination." thing. That said, we do have duplicates of all the routine detritus of life that would be silly to carry in and out of the camper each trip (kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, bedding, tools, etc. as examples). We've also packed and unpacked and planned and bought food for so many trips over the years that much of it is pretty smooth. And, we do have lists for both stuff to take as well as trip prep (car, camper, hitch, etc.) to double check what's left of our memories. If we have to, we can do it all really quick, but we seldom have to and never want to.
Its threads like this that remind me just how much many of us think alike. I find that I think of packing in terms of 'systems' like cooking/kitchen, shelter, sleep/bedding, heating/cooling, etc. I also find that no matter how well I think I have it worked out, I'm always tweaking it. My end goal is to have the camper in a constant state of readiness so that all we have to do is load up the food and clothing and head out. The problem I find myself in most of the time is centered around the 'philosophy of use' (to steal a term I've seen elsewhere). We have several different philosophies of use for the camper and the style of camping depending on our length of stay and our primary activities. This tends to cause me to over pack the camper so we have ever scenario covered, otherwise we are packing a lot more immediately before the trip.
At the moment I am currently getting the camper setup so it has its own supply of anything we may need. Tables, chairs, pots, pans, cups, plates, bowls, silverware, stove, lantern, water containers, etc all currently live in the camper. I also leave a fair number of accessories in there most of the time such as a propane accessory tree and hoses, as well as dedicated extension cords and tools. I started to leave bedding in the camper all the time but I found it to be a space hog, and it always seemed to have a smell no matter how it was stored. So at this point we have tried to be as modular as possible by storing everything in uniform containers like these: http://amzn.to/1ZSK6Uh thought at much cheaper prices from a local store. We are also considering using the stacking drawers for packing our clothes. Something like this without the wheels: http://amzn.to/1nnFVn6. The idea would be to either leave them in the back of the car and use it like a closet, or if we wanted them in the camper it would be easy to move while also keeping things organized. Oh and they are expandable so we can bring additional units as needed.
As for the other last minute packing items we are fairly easy going. We have switched to using sleeping bags so those get thrown into the car in their own stuff sacks. Food is packed into the cooler or double wide milk crates. Though I'm thinking about ditching the milk crates and switching to these type boxes http://amzn.to/1nxWyNv. Bass Pro often has them on sale and they have a lot of features I like such as locking lids, dedicated tie down points, and they stack nicely together. I wanted to get away from the milk crates to help keep critters out of the goodies. We already keep the food in the car and treat it like a pantry so we don't attract animals to the camper itself, but the tubs would add even more flexibility.
Lastly we pack personal items like electronics, charges, etc in our own little 'car bags'.
I enjoy the constant tweaking but I also really like the comfort of knowing that everything is in the camper and ready to go. It makes even a last min trip nearly stress free.
Normally bring the Engle ice chest into our home and leave open for 24 hours or more to pre-cool interior of chest (in summer) to reduce ice usage.
Have a shell on the pickup, so load chairs, aluminum tables, portable exterior TV antenna, water hose, clothes, toiletries, extension cord, entrance mat, and ice chest in the rear of the pickup. Everything else is stored in the camper or pickup.
We are spur of the moment campers, so we wait till the last moment to go camping depending on weather. We're retired, so we camp mostly on weekdays, unless on a multi week trip. Have all electric appliances including heater & 13.5BTU AC in the camper and no LP gas appliances or water system. Use Clorox hand wipes for cleaning paws, coffee mugs, appliances, and use bottled water for storage for drinking & making coffee! Also use paper plates.
Repack camper wheel bearings & check brake pad wear every 10,000 miles. No water systems to winterize and everything is 110V electric except for 12V lights in the camper. We have a 2400 Yamaha quiet gen-set to use for cooking where there in no electricity, but only used it a couple times. Most places have electricity where we camp.
Normally takes two hours to load, hook up camper & go with our 2010 Mighty CL-11!!!!!
Having watched some of my RVing friends spend 2 days loading up their RV before going on a trip, my husband and I decided to buy clothes, kitchen items, towels and the bedding that would live in our camper. I have a blue Rubbermaid plastic box I use for things like salt, pepper, soy sauce and spices, rice, etc. - things that aren't perishable. This goes back and forth between my camper and home, and is always packed and ready to go.
A shopping trip for veggies and stuff is put in the cooler until the Camplite's refrigerator is ready for it, when the veggies are traded out for the beer and hard cider that we keep in the cooler while camping.
Basically, one trip to the grocery store and we are ready to go. We have learned to wash the dirty laundry just before the end of a camping trip, so we don't have to haul that back and forth.
I look at it this way, When the zombie apocalypse happens you're not going to want to be packing, it's just go time! Head for the hills with what ya got!
The most time consuming part of preparing for a trip for us is getting the two motorcycles ready to go. Wash both bikes, change the oil, grease the chains, clean the air filters, and if it is the first trip of the year, spoon new tires onto the rims. Then pack up the riding gear, load the bikes into the trailer and strap them down.
After that, it is just a matter of loading up the fridge and hitting the road...
[quote source="/post/18078/thread" timestamp="1453918396" author="@billmoore"]The most time consuming part of preparing for a trip for us is getting the two motorcycles ready to go. Wash both bikes, change the oil, grease the chains, clean the air filters, and if it is the first trip of the year, spoon new tires onto the rims. Then pack up the riding gear, load the bikes into the trailer and strap them down.
After that, it is just a matter of loading up the fridge and hitting the road...[/quote]We're looking for a Toy Hauler to fit our needs for on and off pavement bikes.
Will be adding motorcycle loading/tie down to list of things to do before a camping trip, to.
Lots of good ideas. I guess I'm not the only camping daydreamer!
I really like these storage tubs:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-27-Gal-Storage-Tote-in-Black-5-Pack-HDX27GONLINE-5/206126311
They're stronger than the regular gummy ones and the lids snap on. You can just about sit on one and they stack.
Last Christmas I got a bunch of Bass Pro shops gift certificates. After wasting a lot of money (and trips) in the past on store trips for ice, I decided to try a Yeti cooler. Wow! They do what they say. I put ice into it on a Sunday and there was still ice on Wednesday. Now the tip is to freeze water bottles instead of ice. after they thaw, you have..well, water. I'd love another; one for food, one for drinks and ice. But we got the next to smallest one and it was $300.
Has anyone vaccuum packed pillows? I'd like to get 4 queen pillows into a plastic tub with sheet set.
I was looking at this Napoleon gas grill.
http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-TQ2225PO-Travel-Portable-Orange/dp/B0075IIA02/ref=sr_1_21?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1453943092&sr=1-21&keywords=napoleon+gas+grill
There are only two of us. This would be much smaller.
PEislander and Pinstriper suggested these tables.
http://www.amazon.com/Wakrays-Aluminum-Folding-Portable-Picnic/dp/B017NH058O/ref=sr_1_19?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1453846257&sr=1-19&keywords=aluminum+roll+up+table
I'd like to score a couple and leave the 4 ft plastic tables at home.
I hadn't really thought of separate clothes. Makes sense though. One plastic tub could handle our 3 day, two night excursions, shoes and all.
The big issue we have is the state of our garage. I may have to apply for a FEMA disaster loan ... I'd like to "stage" the camp items near the garage door. Open the door, load the truck, hook up the QS, go...
[quote timestamp="1453839379" source="/post/18050/thread" author="@catmanriff"]In anticipation of a handful of trips in the QS 10.0 this spring, summer and upcoming fall, i've been trying to figure out how to streamline the process. We are far from experienced and yet we have learned a lot on just a few trips already. I actually enjoy planning and trying to figure out how to make the short trips easier. It's sort of like planning to fish...it's way better than work, bills, the news, etc. Every hour I spend looking at campgrounds, routes, camping stuffs, on this site or creating lists makes it feel almost a third of the way toward going!
Given an opportunity to take off on short notice or without a lot of packing time, I've been trying to figure out how to streamline the packing & launch time. It seemed that we had a lot of loose items, last minute grabs, "oh yea's", Don't forget the ___, disorganized throw togethers, etc. I have a Ford F150 so space isn't an issue.
So, the first thing i've done is made a master checklist on the iPad of everything possible we might need to take. It goes from food to tool kits, everything in between. I keep updating it with the hopes of getting to a point where if you ran down the list, you'd never forget anything.
The next plan is to have the trailer be as self contained as possible with it's own set of stuffs. By that I mean dishes, cleaning supplies, towels, bedding, utensils, tools, cords, lights, bbq items, etc. I'd like as much as possible to live inside the trailer's storage(sink, benches, aisles) ..with the exception of perishable goods. We've done OK on that front already.
the next stage is to have most everything that can reside in a storage tub be ready to go. I found some really big, strong yellow top plastic storage tubs at Home Depot. They can stack. I'd like to get the stove, a small bbq grill, bedding/pillows, pots and pans, heaters, hoses, propane, spices, paper towels and trash bags, etc in those. So the garage door opens and they get loaded up.
What's left? Pack the food, Ice chests, pack the clothes, EZ up, chairs and tables.
The fishing stuff is always a mess. Not certain how to fix that.
Ideas?
What Am I missing?
Some of this is probably obvious... but how have you streamlined the load up process?
[/quote]Checklist! Check!
Dedicated stuff always in trailer! Check!
Storage tubs/totes! Check!I
We do not fish so can't help ya there. I used to fish but I quit when I could hear them laughing. (rofl)
So much depends on your camping style, and everyone's is different. We camp primarily to tour. Rosie is our tiny rolling motel.
The advice given here by everyone is excellent. Sean suggests sleeping bags instead of bedding. We enthusiastically concur. We have always treated our QS as just a big off-the-ground tent. We did change out the factory mattress for a 4" topper over which we have a fitted queen sheet. We just toss the sleeping bags on top of that. We store them rolled in one of the benches, along with pillows and some fleece throws. In the other bench we keep a big quilt and other comfort items. We keep some kitchen items permanently in the cabinets, but we never actually "cook" in the trailer since we occasionally camp with bears and don't want odors attracting guests. ??? I keep a single burner hot plate and an electric kettle aboard so that if we are stuck inside due to weather I can still make coffee, one of my personal camping essentials. Once in a blue moon I warm up soup or hash on the hot plate when trapped in foul weather. Otherwise all cooking is done on a propane stove outdoors, and pretty much all food stays in the car. I hate to have to hassle with ice so I try to do everything out of cans or dehydrated, and that's only when we actually eat in camp. We confess that we cheat! Since we camp to tour we often eat out. :-S
The biggest two things for us are (1) keeping the trailer prepacked with virtually everything and (2) good checklists for everything else. I keep mine on a computer rather than a pad (since I don't have one) and I print a fresh one every time since I am always revising them. I once thought I could create The Perfect Checklist but gave up that silly idea long ago. I do keep everything that is not already in the trailer in totes in our storage unit, and I have a set way that I pack the car so it doesn't take long. Clothing has to be customized to the trip, and often we have to have a lot of it since we don't know what we'll encounter. In 2014 we were out in our tiny 8.1 for 99 consecutive days (!) over 16,000 miles (!) in 16 states (!) and 30 different camps! (!!!) It was honestly too much, and we'd never do it again, but we are glad we did it. There are over 1,600 pictures if anyone cares to glance at them... :) https://flic.kr/s/aHsk1fVtKB
thanks Chuck.
99dys! oh my, My wife and I might kill each other!
I've been looking at bed toppers on amazon. We've been doing air mattress with sleeping bags on top. The air mattress is OK but has that trampoline feel when one of us gets in or out.
Gotta have coffee..I have been using an enameled percolator on the stove. Reminds me to get some instant or singles when inside.
the trip pictures are AMAZING! what an epic trip. We would love some doses of that ourselves. Really cool! You must have taken months to plan that trip out..
[quote source="/post/18165/thread" timestamp="1454112975" author="@catmanriff"]thanks Chuck.
99dys! oh my, My wife and I might kill each other!
I've been looking at bed toppers on amazon. We've been doing air mattress with sleeping bags on top. The air mattress is OK but has that trampoline feel when one of us gets in or out.
Gotta have coffee..I have been using an enameled percolator on the stove. Reminds me to get some instant or singles when inside.
the trip pictures are AMAZING! what an epic trip. We would love some doses of that ourselves. Really cool! You must have taken months to plan that trip out..
[/quote]Thank you for looking! It is an awful lot of pictures but indeed it was THE epic trip, but we've done one every year since we retired in 2009. We bought Rose in 2010 and she made everything so, so much easier that we could stay out longer. We picked Rose up from the factory in June 2010 and pretty much went on the road, 59 days, 8,122 miles, 8 states, and 3 time zones. We did not kill one another (not that we didn't want to---often) :) so we did it again the next year, and so on. We don't know how much time we have left (kinda fatalistic I know but...). Last year we had medical issues that kept us closer to home, but we still managed to do part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour. We hope we have one more in us for this year.
That monster 2014 trip was actually not that well planned. We knew there were specific places we wanted to go and see and do, but we tend to be pretty footloose and Gypsy-like. We even backtracked a time or two. The one thing we do is make sure that we have reservations in the next camp. Honestly (I feel a little silly about it but I'm not sure why) we probably use KOA 90% of the time. I make the reservations on line, easy from KOA because they all have WiFi. I request a back-in or grassy site as close to the washrooms as possible 'cuz we're old. :D We have a membership so we get discounts and points. We also have a Good Sam membership because occasionally we go off the KOA grid and at least they rate the camps. We have no qualms with state parks and even county parks, but we tend to stick with KOA because they are the McDonald's of camping---you always know pretty much what you're gonna get. I like having electric for the heater and the coffee, and their washrooms are always but always well kept. We figure we save at least 2/3 over moteling it, which is what makes it affordable at all.
When we are traveling I frankly rely totally on instant coffee. I used to make cowboy coffee sometimes, delicious but it's a nuisance so we just kinda don't bother any more. Since we're out there mainly to tour we don't like things that suck up time in camp, and cooking and cleanup suck up lots of time. We used to camp to camp when our son was at home but now it's all about touring. I agree that being confined in 100 sq. ft. of canvas camper for weeks takes some patience, but my wife is patient. (rofl)
Our 4" topper came from Voldemart, and it's half memory foam. The camper can still be closed up with the 4" thickness but it takes a little doing since it's twice as thick as the factory mattress. Air mattresses have the disadvantage that they provide no insulation, and the bed frame is (of course) aluminum. We have never felt cold coming through the 4" foam, and my wife really hates cold. I tolerate it much better than she does, but the electric heater is also pretty essential. It doesn't do all that well but it's better than, say, and outside temp of 37°.
Chuck, you bring up an interesting point about cooking and cleaning up sucking up a lot of time. Streamlining this process is a necessity.
So, what are other campers doing? I cook outside and try to keep meals as simple as possible. We use paper plates and plastic cups, except for coffee and soup, when we use ceramics. My husband cleans up, using the outdoor shower - his toy. Sometimes he "accidentally" sprays me - right!
We like GOOD coffee, so I use a French press and a manual grinder. The water has to come to a boil anyway, the coffee beans are ground while waiting for the water, and it only has to brew for 4 minutes before it is ready.
The biggest thing for me when it comes to reducing cleaning time is to reduce the number of items I dirty while cooking. It's easy enough to wash/rise a few plates and cups but washing a bunch of pots and pans add up. Especially if they have "burnt" on food. If I can cook a meal in 1 pot then it's ideal for me :)
[quote source="/post/18178/thread" timestamp="1454167829" author="@leslie"]Chuck, you bring up an interesting point about cooking and cleaning up sucking up a lot of time. Streamlining this process is a necessity.
So, what are other campers doing? I cook outside and try to keep meals as simple as possible. We use paper plates and plastic cups, except for coffee and soup, when we use ceramics. My husband cleans up, using the outdoor shower - his toy. Sometimes he "accidentally" sprays me - right!
We like GOOD coffee, so I use a French press and a manual grinder. The water has to come to a boil anyway, the coffee beans are ground while waiting for the water, and it only has to brew for 4 minutes before it is ready.
QuotePosted by Sean...
The biggest thing for me when it comes to reducing cleaning time is to reduce the number of items I dirty while cooking. It's easy enough to wash/rise a few plates and cups but washing a bunch of pots and pans add up. Especially if they have "burnt" on food. If I can cook a meal in 1 pot then it's ideal for me :)
[/quote]Yes! We also keep a supply of paper plates and even bowls. They can be disposed of in an evening fire, even used as fire starters. We keep a supply of plastic cups for the very rare guests. Otherwise we use our oversize ceramic coffee cups for everything else, kinda backpacker style. We want as little as possible to wash. We cook outside (when we cook) because we occasionally camp with bears and never want odors inside the tent, although as mentioned I will boil water for instant coffee, which can also be used for instant cup Ramen &c. But any serious cooking is done outside, usually on a 2-burner Coleman propane.
I have one of those monster umbrellas ==> [a href="https://flic.kr/p/ajWgyo"]
(https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6082/6121496226_48d9d29111_n.jpg)One pot meals are terrific, and if we are really ambitious (not often but y'never know) we will sometimes drag along a cast-iron Dutch oven (ours is a 4-qt I think). If you've never used one, you can pretty much make anything in one that you can make in an oven. Camp Dutch ovens have little tripod legs on the bottom and a rim around the lid. You put coals top and bottom. I use briquets (cheater!) because they're more predictable than waiting for your fire to die and using those coals, which can vary widely in heat. A properly seasoned Dutch oven (you can buy them pre-seasoned) only needs to have water in it and be put back on the coals while you eat. Swishing it out is all that's needed. Most books recommend never using soap or detergent.
[quote source="/post/18178/thread" timestamp="1454167829" author="@leslie"]Chuck, you bring up an interesting point about cooking and cleaning up sucking up a lot of time. Streamlining this process is a necessity.
So, what are other campers doing? I cook outside and try to keep meals as simple as possible. We use paper plates and plastic cups, except for coffee and soup, when we use ceramics. My husband cleans up, using the outdoor shower - his toy. Sometimes he "accidentally" sprays me - right!
We like GOOD coffee, so I use a French press and a manual grinder. The water has to come to a boil anyway, the coffee beans are ground while waiting for the water, and it only has to brew for 4 minutes before it is ready.[/quote]First thing happens is the dogs go out for potty walk. On their return, they are being fed while I start the campfire. I cheat there, the hexane tabs from the Army-Navy surplus make great firestarters. $1/3.
Breakfast is systematic and easy. Bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, cooked outside on the Coleman stove. We cheat and use the preformed hashbrown patties from Trader Joes. I have strong black tea (TJ's Irish) and she makes her coffee with a Melita drip. It brews while it drips, fast as instant! Ground at home and carried in a sandwich baggie, resupplied from time to time. Stuff like that we always keep enough for two trips in the trailer, in case we forget. Electric kettle makes the hot water. We have 20oz (!!) plastic mugs from...eh - Oh! Stanley. Unhappily, I think they are a discontinued item.
It all comes together by the campfire.
Lunches are generally our eat-out opportunity, if we are near a town. We camp a lot on the coast, so we seek out deep-fried seafood and chowdah (chowdaire). Still, we generally have sandwich materials along as a backup. If we are not near towns we take along hot dogs.
Dinners vary. First night dinner is often prepared, like a casserole from home (home-made chicken pot pie !) that can be heated in the convection micro. We do this as we are generally still on the road at suppertime, or just arriving and setting up.
Take a peppergrinder, put a layer of pepper on a plate. Throw a slab of brie on it, top with more black pepper. Microwave for 45-60 seconds. Serve with crackers and champagne For The Win.
Other dinners involve steak, kabobs, sausage, chicken breast, shrimp, etc. on the grill, grilled vegetabables. Take a plastic baggie, add cut up veggies (mushrooms!), a little light olive oil, salt/pepper/herbs. Slide it shut and toss. All of this is on the portable Coleman grill we take along with the stove. We almost exclusively use baby new potatoes when camping. Boiled, mashed, smashed, grilled, diced/sliced/cubed then pan fried.
If fishing is a possibility, we take along a fresh lemon. If you have lemon, salt, pepper, and butter, you have all you need for any fish.
We generally avoid paper plates. Having a low volume of garbage is important in a small trailer, and we don't leave it outside overnight (due to BEARS! BEARS! BEARS!). Many state parks only have one garbage site near the park exit.
Our plates are the best melmac you can find at the dollar store or Salvation Army. Flatware the same. I wash just about everything outside at the shower in dish tubs from Dollar Store which btw are an exact fit to our factory sink. 4 tubs gives you soap, rinse, drain, mistake. All the water goes to putting the campfire out before we go to bed after dinner, or before we leave the campsite after breakfast.
Paper towels used to soak up the bacon fat or other such goes right on the campfire (stand back!) I suppose we could do this with paper plates as well. Which would work because we use chinet from costco, not the waxy or plastic-coated jobs you find elsewhere. That may become our solution for dry camping to save dishwater.
This!
http://smile.amazon.com/Ready--Genuine-Military-Surplus-Assorted/dp/B009ZIDU0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454175223&sr=8-1&keywords=mre
Quote from: @mitch" source="/post/18183/thread" timestamp="1454175308This!
http://smile.amazon.com/Ready--Genuine-Military-Surplus-Assorted/dp/B009ZIDU0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454175223&sr=8-1&keywords=mre
A culinary delight?
Everything a body needs! ;)
[quote source="/post/18183/thread" timestamp="1454175308" author="@mitch"]This!
http://smile.amazon.com/Ready--Genuine-Military-Surplus-Assorted/dp/B009ZIDU0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454175223&sr=8-1&keywords=mre [/quote]I think they are perfect for backpackers, but frankly awfully spendy. We never used them for that reason, preferring to come up with (relatively) lightweight grocery store substitutes.
(Purely sidebar, when I was in the army--1963--I actually developed a taste for Korean war issue C-Rations. Far too heavy to pack (they are canned), I was dropped on a hill during a field exercise with a radio and a case of C-Rations for two days. I was bored so I ate. :P :D )
Part of the fun for me is cooking outside, and having a simple yet no compromise breakfast, lunch or dinner. I really love cooking though, it's not just an obligation. I typically go for 3 items at dinner: meat, starch and vegetables/salad. Could be meat, salad and veggies .. The exception might be spaghetti night, but that's still sauce pan, noodles and a vegetable. Lunches are the simplest. Breakfast is the typical scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast. This year I'll probably do some instant oatmeal with toast and jelly. I really need to get some one sauce pan meals happening. Mac & cheese perhaps..
Keeping the cooking down to two pots/pans is tough but the grill gives that one extra heat source that doesn't need washing like the pots/pans do..
We use plastic plates and real metal silverware. Ball jars for glasses. So, we have some clean up. The usual M.O. is to have two buckets, one wash, one rinse.
I've been looking at cookware that can be packed away in tubs , just for camping. To me, two sauce pans(like a 2 and 4 quart) and two skillets(10 & 12) is perfect. The camping stuff isn't very interesting to me. i'd rather have some decent clad Farberware or maybe some non stick skillets. Cast iron is great but the weight..
I'm very happy with the 10' EZ up I bought last year on sale. Yea, it's big, heavy and takes two people. But it's way better than that kludgy awning in the QS.. great shade. You can sit outside in the rain even This year I want to add a side wall or two. But, it is one more thing to load.
just ordered a 4" firm bed topper. We'll see how that works as mattress.
Oh, yeah. Our cookware is 2 non-stick fry pans, and a 2-quart. Retired from duty in the home. No cast iron - too heavy, too sensitive to being mishandled.
We have a 10x10 we got at Dick's. Also got the wind walls and bug screens, can configure it any way we want. One person up/down.
[quote source="/post/18191/thread" timestamp="1454208544" author="@catmanriff"]Part of the fun for me is cooking outside, and having a simple yet no compromise breakfast, lunch or dinner. I really love cooking though, it's not just an obligation. I typically go for 3 items at dinner: meat, starch and vegetables/salad. Could be meat, salad and veggies .. The exception might be spaghetti night, but that's still sauce pan, noodles and a vegetable. Lunches are the simplest. Breakfast is the typical scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast. This year I'll probably do some instant oatmeal with toast and jelly. I really need to get some one sauce pan meals happening. Mac & cheese perhaps..
Keeping the cooking down to two pots/pans is tough but the grill gives that one extra heat source that doesn't need washing like the pots/pans do..
We use plastic plates and real metal silverware. Ball jars for glasses. So, we have some clean up. The usual M.O. is to have two buckets, one wash, one rinse.
I've been looking at cookware that can be packed away in tubs , just for camping. To me, two sauce pans(like a 2 and 4 quart) and two skillets(10 & 12) is perfect. The camping stuff isn't very interesting to me. i'd rather have some decent clad Farberware or maybe some non stick skillets. Cast iron is great but the weight..
I'm very happy with the 10' EZ up I bought last year on sale. Yea, it's big, heavy and takes two people. But it's way better than that kludgy awning in the QS.. great shade. You can sit outside in the rain even This year I want to add a side wall or two. But, it is one more thing to load.
just ordered a 4" firm bed topper. We'll see how that works as mattress.[/quote]
Yes! Cookware "made for camping" is mostly a waste of money. Folding handles are nice but flimsy. Most "camp" cookware is pretty thin, likely to burn. As you wrote, "two sauce pans (like a 2 and 4 quart) and two skillets (10 & 12) is perfect." I bought ours at Voldemart with glass lids. Lids can be very useful outdoors since sometimes it's cool or breezy. Lids keep the heat in and bugs, twigs, and leaves out. I have exactly what you described (not sure of the brand) in a fairly heavy non-stick aluminum. My "pantry box" always has a can of Pam, another thing that helps with cleanup. Pots and pans are nested with the lids upside down in a plastic tote.
You fortunately like to cook. I'm not that crazy about it, which is probably why I'm not good at it, but I did learn some time ago that in camp cooking it's best not to stress about everything coming out together like you do at home. You don't have the facilities, the number of burners or the control (weather being a factor). We figured out early that you can serve stuff in shifts; it's better to eat it hot than wait for everything to come together like an 8-course dinner. :D
yes, I do enjoy cooking. But, I don't do complex recipes at all. At the same time I couldn't do canned food or instant. ??? My meals are pretty basic. I'll venture into Kraft Mac & cheese or hamburger helper... Canned tuna is great of course
What I tried to figure out last summer was how meals might be able to share ingredients..or how I might create different meals with same supplies, prepared just differently enough that you feel like it's a new meal.
Frozen hamburger patties can be: burgers, spaghetti meat sauce, sloppy joes, hamburger helper.
Bacon: well, it's good on everything. burgers, breakfast, wrapped around meat for the grill, BLT, salads, in the mac & cheese
Head of lettuce: salad, BLT, on burgers
Loaf of bread: obvious uses. breakfast, sandwiches, grilled cheese, cinnamon toast dessert!
Potatoes: more obvious uses. Breakfast, baked, fried, mashed.
I like frozen corn, peas, beans. Those can easily be cooked on the grill, wrapped in foil
Boil in the bag rice has been very convenient.
Lbs of butter! I also put wine in everything besides myself.
Don Fransiscos coffee and hazelnut creamer.
I bring butter, olive oil, Trader Joes salt & pepper grinders, garlic salt, soy sauce, milk. That seems to cover everything. Been looking for small condiments like ketchup, relish, mayo.
I brought popcorn last summer. Cooked on the camp stove, it was a hit.
On our 8 day trip last year I froze nearly everything, including the butter. Steaks, Chicken, veggies. In the Yeti it all stayed pretty well until about 5 days in. Beyond that it stayed fridge cold. This year I'll plan it out a little better per each day.
I found this gas grill which seems like a convenient size for us and packable..
http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-TQ2225PO-Travel-Portable-Orange/dp/B0075IIA02/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1454263205&sr=8-9&keywords=napoleon+grill
Oh, and Miller High Life comes in pony bottle now. :)
ok, I'm rambling...and hungry!
I think Sean said that as much as we are different we are a lot alike. We tend to keep the camper packed with most of the stuff we use one regular basis so all we need to do is throw food and clothes into the truck and go. We like to do the longer road trips of two weeks but will have to change plans this year and look at more weekend getaways so keeping things packed really helps.
We looked at cookware that was for camping but ended up buying a set of pots and pans from Ikea that we keep in the bottom cabinet all the time. we also take our dutch ovens but don't always use them but it is nice to have that option. We find that we tend to use the dutch ovens more and more each time we go especially for the one pot meals. The biggest problem we have is planning one pot meals for two when most recipes are for 4+.
Catmanriff is the yeti cooler worth the expense and does it really work as advertised? We tend to do the same thing you do with the food for multiple meals but just never really realized that we were doing it.
All the talk of packing for camping is just making me want to get the camper out of storage and go for a weekend. Too bad we still have a few months to go, but when we do we will only have a few things to grab and go.
8 weeks until camping season !
One of the neat things about camp cooking is looking at packaged meals, and figuring out how to make them from scratch so they aren't crap. Home-made mac 'n cheese is wonderful stuff, and can be made ahead of time, frozen, thrown in the fridge and served as one of your weekend camping meals. You can do this with lasagna too. The aforementioned chicken pot pies you can make at home from scratch and still freeze and bring as convenient meals. "Prepared" doesn't have to mean "prepared in a factory and loaded with salt and HFCS". Also, there is something about "one pot meals" that just matches with camping. So we seek out such recipes either to make ahead of the trip, or to make on the trip.
On condiments, I have from time to time toyed with the idea of going to the restaurant supply and getting a box of ketchup packets, mayo, mustard too. But I look at the price and realize I can afford to buy a new bottle of mustard at the dollar store EVERY YEAR for like 16.76 years before I pay for that case of mustard packs. Ditto ketchup. It might make economic sense for mayo, but we use so little of it while camping...and really, if you need it for a recipe to make a baked dip or casserole, who needs to spend the time opening 45 packets of mayo ?
With all this talk and nearly 70 degree weather over the weekend I opened up the camper just to toy around a bit :)
I did a quick inventory and a bit of a clean out of items we decided we didnt use. Even though I didnt really do anything, I just sort of felt like I was just opening things to look at them and then putting them away. Even now I'm chuckling at myself. At this point I'm confident with all the items we have stored and I finally feel like they are fairly well organized. Now I just need a reason to use them all!
The wife and I were talking about little projects/upgrades we want to do this year. One of the projects is an improvement to the bunk curtains (a full write up will come when they are done). I'm going to try to do a full write up or maybe a how-to guide on projects, so keep an eye out :) Now the hard part is staying grounded, I want so badly to do all my projects at once!
-Sean
[quote source="/post/18212/thread" timestamp="1454288587" author="@johnc"]
Catmanriff is the yeti cooler worth the expense and does it really work as advertised? We tend to do the same thing you do with the food for multiple meals but just never really realized that we were doing it.
All the talk of packing for camping is just making me want to get the camper out of storage and go for a weekend. Too bad we still have a few months to go, but when we do we will only have a few things to grab and go. [/quote]I read a lot of reviews then decided to cash in my Basspro gift certificates and get one. I bought the little 45, which was $350 I believe.. I hadn't paid any attention to Yeti or ice chests/coolers to be honest...and I have never considered spending that much.
It's amazing. Very solid, the lid is really tight, the rubber strap thingies are part of that seal. Great drain plug. But the best part is the performance. It really does keep everything cooler, longer. I may pop for the bigger 60 or 75 model and have one for food, one for ice and drinks.
[quote source="/post/18213/thread" timestamp="1454289446" author="@pinstriper"]8 weeks until camping season !
One of the neat things about camp cooking is looking at packaged meals, and figuring out how to make them from scratch so they aren't crap. Home-made mac 'n cheese is wonderful stuff, and can be made ahead of time, frozen, thrown in the fridge and served as one of your weekend camping meals. You can do this with lasagna too. The aforementioned chicken pot pies you can make at home from scratch and still freeze and bring as convenient meals. "Prepared" doesn't have to mean "prepared in a factory and loaded with salt and HFCS". Also, there is something about "one pot meals" that just matches with camping. So we seek out such recipes either to make ahead of the trip, or to make on the trip.
On condiments, I have from time to time toyed with the idea of going to the restaurant supply and getting a box of ketchup packets, mayo, mustard too. But I look at the price and realize I can afford to buy a new bottle of mustard at the dollar store EVERY YEAR for like 16.76 years before I pay for that case of mustard packs. Ditto ketchup. It might make economic sense for mayo, but we use so little of it while camping...and really, if you need it for a recipe to make a baked dip or casserole, who needs to spend the time opening 45 packets of mayo ?
[/quote]good points on both pre made frozen meals and condiments.
We are camping strictly out of ice chests so some items may not work so well. No fridge, no microwave. But, for shorter trips, the pre made meals frozen would be great.
The little packets are also sort of a mess. I'd be about 4 packets for one burger. Squeeze bottles of condiments make no trash.
I like the freeze a meal idea, and try to use that as much as possible. I found if you plan ahead and have a decent cooler you can make it a good bit of time before things thaw too much. For example I have a win and a fail all in the same story. I pre-made some homemade sloppy joe, then sealed it in a vacuum bag. This allows me to freeze it as a thick block for longer thaw times, or as a thin sheet for shorter trips. The plan was to then take the whole thing, bag and all and simply simmer/boil it to reheat the mix. I'm thinking this is a great idea, no mess, no cleaning...just boil in a bag. However I soon found out that the seal on the bags (despite having multiple independant seals) will release given enough time and heat. Leaving you with sloppy joe soup :( I still contend the idea is good, I just need to be careful with the implementation.
sloppy joe soup.. never had it! ...might not either
last summer All the bagged goods we brought up to 8000 feet were on the verge of exploding..
We may try the freeze a meal this year due to making the shorter trips, although I'm not sure I'm ready for the sloppy joe soup just yet. We found that we tend to move every couple days so we pack light on the food and buy a few days worth before we get the the campground.
Catmanriff thanks for the review we are still undecided at this point if we will get one.
more research on streamlining the packing ..
anyone used the Magma nesting cookware. Stainless steel, well rated.
http://www.amazon.com/Magma-Gourmet-Nesting-Stainless-Cookware/dp/B0049MFVG8/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1454607764&sr=1-3&keywords=magma+stainless+steel+cookware
@catmanriff, short answer is yes. I started to ask about the same cookware here: http://www.livinlite-owners.com/thread/1625/best-family-cookset
I ended up purchasing this set since it came with more options for a marginal price increase: http://amzn.to/1nQ0clU
So far I love it. They are heavy duty enough that I dont worry about damaging them, but also small and lightweight enough that I dont feel weighed down. The handles are strong and tough with a secure fit. All in all I would say they are well worth the money :)
Oh and if you keep an eye out sometimes Amazon warehouse will have them slightly cheaper
thanks!
I thought about ordering another handle but at $30...
I find I dont often need to both...its easy enough to just switch one handle back and forth
ok..good to know.
And remember in case of a emergency, there is always a Walmart down the road.
[quote source="/post/18761/thread" author="@popup2012" timestamp="1455672101"]And remember in case of a emergency, there is always a Walmart down the road.
[/quote]So true! And while I often assert that I despise Voldemart I shop there because we are poor! All the cookware we carry came from Walmart. I think the wonderful nesting stuff is beautiful and practical, but awfully spendy (as we say). It's true that when it is all nicely nested it takes up little room so there is more room for other things, but since we cook as little as possible I rely mostly on a 9" fry pan and a 2-qt saucepan, both with covers to keep heat in and bugs and debris out. Those are kept in a small tote that fits in Rosie's upper cabinet. I keep a nylon spoon and spatula in the tote as well, along with a good can opener (got sick of cheap ones that never worked well) and a coupl'a other things. When we can break Rose out of the ice in the spring I need to make some pictures of our setup. Every single person will take a different approach, depending on what works, and it's always a work in progress besides. :) A couple of seasons ago, during a spate of really ugly weather, I went to a nearby Voldemart and bought a single burner electric hot plate. We have always been afraid to use a propane stove inside, but there are times when foul weather makes it really unpleasant to cook outside. We don't use it often, but we do use it occasionally to heat up some soup in the saucepan or whatever. We always try to have electric for the heater since my bride is always cold :P . Since it's a 15-amp circuit we turn off the heater, turn on the hot plate, and when finished turn the heater back on. It works well enough for us.
update on the Magma nesting cookwear set:
I put it on my Amazon watch list. Monday morning it came up for $85, the 5 piece stainless set..with free shipping. I went for it. It arrived Tuesday! I'd have to say it's very nicely made and will be perfect for the camper-only pack.. It might be all that i'll ever need, although I may add another 10 or 12 skillet. ..looks like there will be 6 of us in the sierras this June, and I'm always the designated chef.
Well as designated chef its a requirement that you have the new, cool, and shiny gear ;)
I hope you like the Magma as much as I have. I plan to do a video review of it at some point this season. I've been dying to do some work with my gear but we have been having the craziest weather imaginable around here. Monday we had snow/sleet/freezing rain and today we are currently sitting at just under 60 degrees and a high of near 70 predicted over the weekend!
As an old Artillery Soldier I am a firm believer in check lists. They save you trips to Wally World to buy what you left at home. We had one for our QS 6.0 and I have a rough draft check list for the soon to be delivered CL 16' TBS. I like the list that shows you what to load in the TV, trailer, food, kitchen and personal items to include your campground reservations along with a trip plan sent to family or friends.
A good source of lists can be found at: http://blog.goodsam.com/rv-travel-checklists
Happy Trails!
Thanks. those are good lists. I've been making a master list, specific to our needs. I missed a couple items.
So I've been gathering some new gear for the coming season and I'm way more excited about these than a grown man should be lol(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160219/a96c70e8a5bd5ca9063f3f6e1f6bf38b.jpg)
Those look nice. 4 place settings. Looks a lot like the set my wife got at Target. Ours are black. We found rectangular plastic dinner plates and purple Ball jars for drinks.
I just received my O grill 2000. I'll try it out here first before camping.
My camper-only set of stuffs is becoming complete.
They are made by GSI and I found they at about 50% off at steepandcheap.com. I had been looking at the options at Target and Walmart but these ended up being cheaper in the long run. The only thing bothering me is that I have 6 of everything else but only 4 place settings for the silverware. Oh well lol
[quote source="/post/18822/thread" timestamp="1455886663" author="@admin"]They are made by GSI and I found they at about 50% off at steepandcheap.com. I had been looking at the options at Target and Walmart but these ended up being cheaper in the long run. The only thing bothering me is that I have 6 of everything else but only 4 place settings for the silverware. Oh well lol[/quote]I did not know these were still around! We had a set of these in blue many years ago. I would suggest you go ahead and double the set. Stash the extra two complete place settings. Our experience was that over time the pretty plastic handles became cracked and loose, sometime falling off altogether. This is not to say they are not well made, just that the handles are plastic and eventually the plastic becomes brittle and cracks. We used ours daily at home. Yours will be used less so should last longer, but I think having a few spares to replace inevitable losses (from all causes) couldn't hurt. :)
That is the same stuff we bought. Gsi